Most Emailed Articles

This is an easy edging, made with double crochet and chain stitches. I rewrote the antique directions for this pattern, so that it would have more complete instructions, be in today's crochet pattern terminology and be easier to follow. Below, you will see the antique directions given first, for comparison, with my rewritten directions following.

If you'd like to see how it was to crochet from patterns that the crocheters in the early 1900's had to work from, you may like to try crocheting this edging from the antique directions first, then crochet from the rewritten directions, after that. Of course, you can skip right to the modern directions, if you would rather.

Note that, in the antique pattern book, the edging was crocheted directly into the edge of fabric.

Slip Stitch (sl st) = Insert hook in stitch, thread or yarn over hook, pull thread or yarn through the stitch and through the loop on the hook, at the same time. A slip stitch does not add any height and is used to join a chain or stitch to another place in the crochet piece.

The shell in this pattern is made by working (2 dc, ch 4, 2 dc) all in one ch-5 space.

Because different lengths will be used in adding this edging to various projects, the rows may end in different spots in the pattern, so I've given end of row instructions, after rows 2 and 3, to help in finishing the last part of a row or round.

To Begin: Join yarn or thread in the edge stitch of the piece to which you are adding this edging.Row 1: Ch 1, sc in first st, * ch 5, skip 4 sts, sc in next st **, repeat from * to ** as many times as needed to complete a row or round.Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sl st in first sc, ch 3, sl st in first ch-5 space, * ch 3, work (2 dc, ch 4, 2 dc) in next ch-5 sp, ch 3, sl st in next ch-5 sp **, repeat from * to **, until you reach the end of the row or round.End of Row 2 (If row 2 ended with the shell): After making the shell, add a ch 3, sl st in end sc, to finish the row.End of Row 2 (If row 2 ended with the ch 3, sl st in ch-5 sp): Add a ch 3, sl st in end sc, to finish the row.Row 3 (If row 2 ended with the shell): Ch 3, * skip 2 dc of shell, 10 dc in the ch-4 sp (in the center of the shell), skip 2 dc of shell, sl st in next ch-3 sp, ch 4, sl st in next ch-3 sp **, repeat * to **.Row 3 (If row 2 ended with the ch 3, sl st in ch-3 sp): Sl st in first ch-3 sp, * Ch 4, sl st in next ch-3 sp, skip 2 dc of shell, 10 dc in the ch-4 sp (in the center of the shell), skip 2 dc of shell, sl st in next ch-3 sp **, repeat * to **.End of Row 3 (If row 3 ended with the sl st in next ch-3 sp): Add a ch 3, then sl st in last ch-3 sp, to reach the end of the row or round.End of Row 3 (If row 3 ended with the 10 dc in ch-4 sp): Leave off the 10th dc and, instead, do a ch 3, sl st in last dc of previous row.To finish: End off, leaving a strand to weave in. Weave in the ends, to secure.

Photo by Sandi Marshall. This photo image is copyright 2003 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Do not redistribute.

Terms of Use: These rewritten instructions and the image are free for your own personal use only and, per copyright law, are not be sold or redistributed (with or without charge) in any form (redistributing includes photocopies, emailing, posting to Bulletin Boards, posting on another web site, posting to an email list and any other manner of distribution).

Instead, you are welcome to post the URL of this page, so that anyone who would like to have these instructions may come here for themselves. Thank you!

URL of this page is http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa012503.htm

The edging pattern was originally published in the book "Edges and Corners" Book No. F by Emma Farnes in the early 1900's (no copyright date printed on the book, but it is definitely early 1900's).

Just FYI - A person can't rewrite the instructions to a pattern that is currently under copyright protection and then legally claim any copyright of their own to their rewritten instructions. If a pattern (copyright before the year 1923) has fallen into the public domain, then new copyright can be applied to variations of (also called derivitive works of) that public domain pattern.

Copyright Questions? See http://whatiscopyright.org - see the section named "Copyrights and the Internet" (it starts by saying "Public domain - not!").

How long does copyright last? See US Government Copyright Office web site at http://www.loc.gov/copyright. Under "Publications" heading, click on "Information Circulars": Circular 15 ( Renewal of Copyrights), Circular 15a (Duration of Copyrights) and Circular 15t (Extension of Copyright Terms) will be helpful.